ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — to rob
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. club — for dancing
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. wind — moving air
  12. clip — for paper
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. clip — to cut
  16. wind — moving air
  17. club — a group
  18. mug — a face
  19. club — for golf
  20. pit — a hole
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. sharp — clever
  23. pit — in a race
  24. shower — to wash

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com